Something More
by afanoftvd
Summary: Inspired by 1x7 Haunted and 1x8 162 candles.  How could Damon take away Jeremy's suffering? Was it really as simple as erasing a few memories? Or as Elena suggested, did he do something more? One shot.


Inspired by 1x7 Haunted and 1x8 162 candles.

How could Damon take away Jeremy's suffering? Was it really as simple as erasing a few memories, or as Elena suggested, did he do something more?

**Something More. **

Damon walked into Jeremy's room and found Jeremy hunched on the bed, his head resting on his knees, rocking and moaning inconsolably. Damon placed a hand on Jeremy's knee.

"What do you want?" Jeremy spat out, looking up startled. His eyes were red, swollen and dry as if he didn't have another tear left to shed.

Damon pulled up a chair and sat facing Jeremy, but before he could speak Jeremy accosted him with a rush of words.

"Why would Vicky come at us like that? She was half crazed. And that look in her eyes." Jeremy continued shuddering. "I can't get that picture out of my head. It was wild, evil. What would make that happen to her? Why did she have to die that way?"

"You don't have to remember Vicky that way." Damon said quietly his expression gentle.

"How?" Jeremy asked.

"What are the good things you remember about her?" Damon prompted.

"She was very beautiful." Jeremy admitted slightly embarrassed. "And she wasn't just there for the drugs. She was there for me last summer. She'd say "I got you." and would give me the last fry off her plate if she thought I was eyeing it."

Damon nodded remembering those exact words in the graveyard a couple of nights earlier.

"I believe you." Damon said, his eyes focusing on Jeremy's. "This is what happened tonight. She came by the Halloween dance and shared a bag of chips with you. Then she told you she was heading out of town so she could pull herself together."

"Yeah it's probably for the best." Jeremy agreed. "I am so going to miss her."

Damon studied Jeremy carefully, recognizing the pain that still remained in his expression.

"Is there something else?" Jeremy asked quizzically.

"Tell me what you've been feeling." Damon prompted.

"I feel like my heart is going to split apart the pain is so bad." Jeremy said in anguish. "It's been going on so long I barely remember ever feeling differently."

"I can hang on to it for you." Damon offered.

"Just like that?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes." Damon said simply. He looked intently at Jeremy. Damon flinched for a moment as if he felt a sudden stab of pain.

"Better?" Damon asked.

"Yes." Jeremy answered sitting up straighter, a weight obviously off his shoulders. "But what do I do about the hole?"

Damon looked at him quizzically.

"Inside me." Jeremy explained.

"We'll fill it." Damon said purposefully.

"With what?" Jeremy asked.

"With the good..." Damon began to explain

"Losing Vicky. Where's the good in that?" Jeremy challenged him.

"We'll get back to that." Damon said, purposefully changing the subject. "Your parents, what were they like?"

"Dad was smart. He was a doctor. He helped me with school. Made learning fun. And mom, she was caring and stubborn. Kinda like Elena." Jeremy smiled remembering.

"So, tomorrow when you wake up pull out your homework. Go to work and your Dad will be right there beside you. And with every quiz you ace and every A you get on a paper you'll fill that hole with your Dad."

Jeremy nodded thoughtfully then looked up with an ironic smile. "How about Vicky? Do I get a piece of her back every time I toke on a joint?"

Damon laughed. "How about every time you are considerate of someone even when they are a dick to you, you'll put a piece of Vicky in there too."

"Will it work?" Jeremy asked.

"Not really." Damon admitted. "The hole will still be there. But it's better than nothing."

"I won't remember this conversation will I?" Jeremy stated suddenly very aware.

"No." Damon admitted. "I'm gonna head out. You're beat. Get some rest."

Damon stepped out of the room, pushing back tears that were beginning to well in his eyes and steeling his jaw before heading down to the porch.

"It's done." He said to Stefan and Elena his tone reserved, as he fought to hide a tremor in his voice.

After Elena hurried inside he didn't linger on the porch with Stefan but streaked home carving a straight path through the woods. He burst through the door of the boarding house, slammed it behind him and fell back against it, his head bowed and few subdued sobs escaping his lips.

A few minutes later Stefan walked in.

"Damon. You left your car at Elena's." He called out. "Brought it home for you."

Not getting a response, Stefan followed the sound of manic foot steps to the living room and found Damon pacing frantically in front of the fireplace. Damon finally turned to look at him, his eyes wild with grief.

"What happened?" Stefan asked approaching Damon.

"Don't touch me." Damon growled batting Stefan's arm away.

"Is this about Jeremy? You helped him tonight." Stefan offered.

"Don't try to make this good." Damon exploded sending Stefan flying against the far wall.

Stefan wearily picked himself up, walked over to the bar and fixed a couple of drinks. He walked casually over to Damon and handed him one. Damon accepted it half-heartedly and sat down heavily on the sofa. Stefan sat beside him

"You took on his suffering didn't you?" Stefan asked keeping his eyes on his drink.

Damon sighed before taking a long swallow. "I thought I could box it up with everything else." He admitted with an ironic half smile.

"Isn't quite working that way?" Stefan asked.

"How do you do it?" Damon asked in reply. "Feeling so much all the time?"

"Sometimes I don't." Stefan explained. "But I've never gone out and purposefully taken on somebody else's pain." A flicker of admiration gleamed in Stefan's eyes before he hooded them again. "What were you thinking?"

Damon shrugged noncommittally. He took another long drink, then sank back against the sofa visibly relaxing.

"Turned it off?" Stefan asked matter of factly.

"Better hurry up and stake me." Damon casually goaded Stefan. "Vervain me. Lock me in the cellar. Before I do something really horrendous."

"Nah." Stefan drawled. "Tonight you get to be the good guy."

Stefan met Damon's eyes and raised his glass in a toast to his brother.


End file.
